Ben Thomas

As a former orchestra player it’s been a fun challenge to learn a new type of music and still utilize my sight reading skills. I love how we still utilize listening as there is no conductor, so listening is critical to stay in tempo and be musical together. I also have loved the opportunities I’ve had to practice soloing, a great skill transfer for jazz combos.

Ben definitely provided great feedback every class and I felt he did so in a way that pushed us as a group but still kept the class fun. 

Ben in particular has been such a phenomenal instructor and I can confidently say each class we have with him makes me a better musician. 

Ben is so approachable, so willing to work different angles when someone in the class is struggling to understand a concept. He regularly checks in on how we are doing and comprehending the material to ensure we can move forward. His always positive mood and bringing laughter into the course was so appreciated. He made theory fun and if there was ever a deeper dive Level 2 of this class I would want to take it.

The material was phenomenal, I'm newer to jazz but found this so helpful in learning how chords are constructed. I feel better equipped stepping into my first ever jazz ensemble in the Spring of this year if I'm able to be placed in one. I now feel that when I look at a jazz standard chord chart I understand much better what each of the chords are made up of and how to approach them on bass.

Ben and this class solidified that I'm at the right place at JNS to grow as a musician and better learn how to play jazz.